I have been writing off and on about pain for a while and trying to get the word out in our community about the new thinking in pain science, why pain experiences occur, and how physical therapists can help people become empowered and live better lives whether by reducing there pain or managing it better.

In talking with people in the community at large, medical practitioners, and other health and wellness people, I have come to realize what a huge job we have in getting people and the world in general to reconceptualize pain. Tightly held beliefs, fears of not being listened to, and a large shift in perspective are all obstacles to overcome. Of course we see this everyday in any kind of large change.

So today I am doing a one question survey..Just answer in the comments for anyone who works with people in pain or is having pain.

What is your biggest frustration in working within the medical system if you are healthcare provider when dealing with people with chronic pain? And if you are a person with long term pain what is your frustration with the system?

I will start the 1st response.

My frustration is how few people in our current system can get past there compartmentalized box of their specialty and treat a person as a whole person, and not a back or knee or a pain patient. Having empathy and being able to relate a person’s history, and experience and overall physical and emotional state to their pain problem seems to be lacking.

I am frustrated in general that doctors, even apparent generalists, seem to focus on a very limited set of diagnoses and treatments and don’t seem to know much about things outside that area of focus. They appear to be working off of some sort of checklist and once they’ve eliminated everything on their list, you must be fine because they have nothing left to offer. I know they’re busy and don’t have time to sit around reviewing all the literature in the world, but it’s very frustrating to learn something on your own that really helps, and think: why couldn’t my doctor have suggested that 6 months ago?

Also, filling out those ridiculous pain questionnaires visit after visit is frustrating. Personally I have no idea what number to pick and can’t remember what number I picked the last time either, so I don’t even know if the practitioner thinks I’m getting better or worse.

Great comments…I hate pain questionnaires too unfortunately that is a product of out insurance system..We have to show documentable progress and that is one way to try and get a measurable outcome on a difficult to measure thing, pain.

And I think you are correct with pain, especially, persistent pain, the issue becomes more than a specific injury or tissue in your body. It becomes a nervous system processing issue. Most doctors don’t understand this and don’t know how to treat it.

They also don’t do a great job of finding people that do from my experience. They then just want to get those difficult cases out of their office.